The Birthday Surprise
by Angel Streets
Summary: It's Jack's Birthday. What kinds of surprises does Elizabeth have in store for him?


The Birthday Surprise

Elizabeth Thatcher was walking around the school room, watching her students as they silently worked on their art projects. She looked around the room. She smiled. She was so happy to be in the new school house. She then remembered how the new school house was possible. Her smile grew wider, as she thought about Jack Thornton- how he had so selflessly donated the reward money he had received for his help in putting away the Tolliver gang. He had said that he donated the money to assist the entire town, but she knew better. He had donated that money, just so she would want to stay in Coal Valley. _Like I would have left Coal Valley, _She thought. She hadn't yet told him, but she was already madly in love with Constable Jack Thornton. There would be no way she could possibly leave now.

Finally, she snapped out of her reverie. She looked at the clock and realized it was nearly the end of the school day. "Alright, children," She said. "When you are finished with your drawings, please place them on my desk and you are dismissed." The children quickly stood, took their pictures to the desk and ran out of the school house.

Elizabeth sat at her desk. She picked up the pile of papers and began stifling through them. She gasped. She couldn't believe the topic of most of the pictures that were drawn. Elizabeth had asked her students to draw something that makes them happy or would make them happy. The one picture she was viewing showed a woman in a pink dress holding hands with a man in a red serge jacket. She looked at the others. One was of a man kissing a woman's hand. Another was a replica of the tiny likeness on the founder's day backdrop. It wasn't an exact replica, but she could clearly tell that was what the artist was intending to draw.

Elizabeth still wasn't sure who could have painted the backdrop. Jack had said he would get to the bottom of it, but never did get back to her. She hoped he didn't forget.

As if on cue, Jack Thornton walked through the door. She smiled when she saw him. "Hi, Jack." She couldn't conceal her giddiness, as he walked to her desk and leaned over it to place a kiss on her cheek. He then noticed the pictures on her desk and began to look through them. "Wow!" He exclaimed. "Are these pictures of us?" He grinned. "Why are you having your students draw pictures of Ms. Thatcher and Mountie Jack?"

She blushed "I didn't." She replied. "I asked them to draw a picture of something that makes them happy or would make them happy."

"And they drew pictures of us. How sweet," Jack smiled. "And I agree with them one hundred percent."

Elizabeth was taken slightly off guard. "What?" She asked.

Jack walked around her desk and took her by the hand and pulled her to her feet. "You make me happy." He placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"You make me happy too." She smiled.

He escorted her out the door of the school house. He walked her to the café and kissed her cheek. He watched her disappear inside. He then walked over to the jail.

As soon as Elizabeth watched Jack enter the jail, she rushed quickly to the mercantile. Jack's birthday was coming up and she wanted to get him the perfect gift. She knew exactly what she wanted to get him. She'd asked Ned Yost to order it. She was worried it wouldn't arrive in time. She'd discreetly gone to mercantile every day for two weeks and the package still hadn't arrived. Today she was hopeful, as she opened the door and entered the mercantile. "Hello, Mr. Yost, has my package arrived yet?"

"Yes, Ms. Thatcher, it arrived this morning."

"Elizabeth sighed with relief. "Thank goodness. Jack's birthday is tomorrow. I wanted to give him something special." She paid Mr. Yost and asked him to wrap up the gift. She made her way back to the café. She hid the gift under her bed until she could give it to Jack for his birthday.

The following day was Jack's birthday. Elizabeth woke up early. She had asked Abigail to prepare a special picnic basket. She wanted to surprise Jack with a special birthday breakfast. She had also asked Bill if he would make Jack's rounds for him, so he could have the day off. Bill and Abigail both agreed to help Jack have a happy birthday.

Elizabeth took the picnic basket across the street to the jail. She noticed Jack was still sound asleep when she walked inside. On her way over to the bed, she bent down and patted Rip on the head. She then proceeded to the bed and sat down on the edge. She smiled and licked her lips. She then leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his lips. She watched his lips curl in a smile and his eyes flutter open. "Good morning, birthday boy." She said "Happy Birthday."

He flashed a dimpled smile. "I just woke up, and already I've had a great birthday. I could get used to you being the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning." He brought himself to a sitting position. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but why are you here so early?"

"I thought you'd like a birthday breakfast." She held up the picnic basket. "I also thought… maybe… you would want to spend the day with me?" She raised her eyebrows.

He leaned in to kiss her. "I would love to, but I have rounds to make. It may be my birthday, but the town isn't going to patrol itself."

"No it isn't." Elizabeth agreed. "That's why Bill agreed to make your rounds for you today."

"In that case, I couldn't think of better person to spend my birthday with than you." He smiled. "So what's in the basket?"

She took the basket over to Jack's desk and emptied the contents. She found a small tray and arranged the pancakes, syrup, toast, and orange juice on the tray and took it over to him.

"Birthday breakfast in bed," he said smiling. "If you're gonna make such a fuss over me, I should have birthdays more often." He winked.

She giggled. "Now eat up."

"Aren't you going to have any?" He asked.

"It isn't my birthday." She said.

"No, but you gotta eat." He poured syrup on his pancakes.

"I'm fine, Jack." She said.

"You sure?" He asked. "They're really tasty." He took a bite and put it to her lips.

"Alright, if you insist," she opened her mouth so he could feed her, but instead, he raised the fork a little higher, getting syrup on her nose.

"Jack Thornton!" She screamed. "Why did you do that?"

He smiled. "So I could to this." He leaned over and kissed her syrup covered nose. "Mmm, you taste delicious."

She blushed and smiled. "So that's the way you want to play." She picked up the container of syrup and poured it over his head and watched it slowly run down his face.

"Hey, you're gonna pay for this!" He exclaimed.

"Name your price." She replied.

He thought for a moment and chuckled. "Now you have to lick it off."

Elizabeth turned three shades of red and looked down at the floor. "Jack!" She exclaimed.

He giggled. "I'm only joking. The real payment is… you have to kiss me."

"Well I don't know if I can afford that." She said, shyly.

"Well I guess you'll have to face the consequences. I'm the constable. I guess I'll have to arrest you." He pushed his breakfast tray aside, climbed out of bed, and went to his desk to retrieve his handcuffs. He walked back over to her, twirling the handcuffs around. He grabbed her wrist and put one of the cuffs around it before she had a chance to protest.

"Jack, what are you doing?" She asked as he placed the other cuff around his own wrist.

"Now you'll have to stay with me forever until your payment is made."

She smiled. "Fine, I'll pay." She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "May I be released now?"

"Well I would, but due to circumstances beyond my control, the price just went up." He licked his lips, hoping she would get the hint.

She rolled her eyes and leaned in and kissed his lips.

"That's much better." He said.

"Will you let me go now?" She asked.

"I guess so." He groaned. He started patting himself. "Uh-oh,"

"What's wrong, Jack?"

"Where's the key? I can't find the key."

"Oh Jack, really." She sighed

He patted himself a little more. "Oh no, Elizabeth I can't find the key."

"Jack, seriously, where's the key?"

Finally, he picked the key up off the desk and started laughing. "Gotcha!" He exclaimed.

"Jack, I can't believe you." She playfully slapped his arm.

He unlocked the handcuffs and took her in his arms. "I'm sorry. I was just playing around. Forgive me?" He smiled.

She never could resist that smile. "Of course I do." She replied, returning the smile. "And by the way, you taste delicious too."

He leaned in to kiss her. "So shall we finish breakfast?"

"Sure," She replied.

After they shared what was left of the pancake breakfast, Elizabeth went back to the café so Jack could change and wash the syrup out of his hair. They met outside the café and went on a walk around Coal Valley. They ended up at the lake. They sat and talked for a bit. "Are you having a good birthday?" She asked.

"Yes," he replied. "I get to spend the whole day with you."

They sat hand in hand, until the sun was starting to set. They stood up and made their way back to the café.

When they got to the door, Jack leaned in to kiss her goodbye. She suddenly pulled away. "Would you like to come in for a minute?" She asked, grabbing his hand.

"Sure."

She led him through the door to the café. The entire café was lit with candles. He looked around with a smile on his face. "Elizabeth, what is this?"

"Surprise!" She exclaimed. Your birthday isn't quite over yet.

"Thank you so much, Elizabeth." He said. "I believe I've had the best birthday ever."

"That's the plan." She smiled.

They sat down to dinner. Abigail served them a turkey dinner and some birthday cake she had baked for dessert.

After dinner, Elizabeth excused herself and ran up to her room to get the birthday gift from beneath the bed. She returned to the dining room and presented him with the gift.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Open it and find out." She answered

He ripped it open to reveal a book with leather binding.

"I figured you'd like a new sketch book, since you like to draw so much."

"It's beautiful, Elizabeth. Thank you."

"There's more." She said, handing him an envelope addressed to him.

"A card," he said, as he accepted it.

"Read it aloud." She said to him.

He tore open the envelope and began to read….

_On this your birthday_  
><em>I want you to know<em>  
><em>that I lo…<em>

Suddenly, he paused. "Elizabeth?" He asked.

"I love you with all my heart and soul." Elizabeth said, completing the message on the card. She looked in his eyes. She wished she could tell what he was thinking. He seemed to be in total shock. "Jack," she said, waving her hand in front of his face. "Are you alright?"

"Uh, yes," he answered. "You just took me by surprise; that's all."

"Oh I'm sorry, Jack. I guess I was being too forward by telling you that I love you, but that's how I feel. I've loved you for a long time now. And now that I've made a complete fool of myself, I'll go up to my room. You know the way out, don't you?" She stood up, trying to fight back tears.

"Elizabeth, wait." He said, grabbing her hand to stop her. He stood up next to her, turned her so she was facing him, and touched her face. "I love you too.'

"You do?" She asked, wiping away her tears.

"Yes, I love you, with all my heart. I was going to tell you when I dropped you off at the café, but you invited me in and I was taken completely off guard." He pulled her into an embrace. "I have something to show you."

"What?"

He reached in his pocket and pulled out a folded up piece of paper and handed it to her. She opened it up. She then looked up at Jack. "Jack, it was you?" She asked. "You painted the backdrop?"

"Yes," he answered. "I painted that tiny likeness of us kissing, because I was in love with you and was hoping to make it a reality."

"Why didn't you say anything?" She asked.

"Well at the time, I wasn't sure if you felt the same way, and you know how hard it is for me to express my feelings." He took her hand. "But now that I've said it, I want to say it again… I love you!"

She smiled. "I love you too. So did you have a nice birthday?"

"I had a great birthday." He said. "You gave me so much for my birthday, when all I really wanted was… you… now and forever." He took her in his arms and kissed her lips. He then touched his forehead to hers. Jack knew at that very moment that this was going to be the best birthday ever.

**Attention Hearties…. I wrote this fanfic in honor of Daniel Lissing's Birthday. But in this story it's Jack's birthday… It was just an idea I had… A way we can all celebrate Daniel's Birthday… I hope you enjoy!**


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